ive had this novel on my tbr for quite some time. i gave my shot at mrs. D a couple of years ago, but for whatever reason it wasnt quite clicking for me in the same way that to the lighthouse did, so it ended up in the dnf pile. while i still dont think this novel is quite at the same caliber as ttl (though thats admittedly a high bar to reach given that ttl is one of, if not my favourite novel oat), i was still thoroughly impressed by mrs dalloway, and enjoyed it so much that i managed to plow through it in a couple days.

while i dont think this novel is as formally or conceptually interesting as ttl, i do think it shines in terms of character writing, with its characters being just as, if not more, complex. i love how clarissa and septimus play off of and sort of serve as foils to each other. i really like septimus in particular. i mean THAT'S how you properly write a disabled character! the way woolf describes his total numbness towards the world, and especially his PTSD episodes, is totally poignant and top-notch.

i really love how this book tackles medical gaslighting too, i was succesfully rage baited by both bradshaw and dr holmes. as a partner to someone who has an "invisible" disability, i know the sentiment of "just take a walk and look at flowers and your problems will go away" all too well. it can really make someones mental anguish even worse and drive them up the wall. i think that aspect is brilliantly touched upon here.

prose wise, woolf is still at the top of her game, and i got lost in her lengthy descriptive metaphors and descriptions that sometimes felt like stories in of themselves. i loved the recurring moon imagery woolf kept looping back to when peter and clarissa first reunite near the beginning of the novel, or the recurring imagery of heat symbolizing death.

that said, i feel like this novel was still missing the extra edge or "wow" factor that made me fall totally in love with ttl. maybe if i read this first its formal tricks wouldve impressed me a lot more, but because i know what woolf is capable of and the amount of modernist works ive read, it came across as well executed, but not mind blowing. but maybe thats my fault for having my expectations set too high. despite this, i still loved the novel and would highly recommend it to anyone interested!